


Rain, My Sunshine

by YaoiDokiDoki



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Baratie (One Piece), Cafe AU, Espionage, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Ex-mafioso, Germa 66, Judge being an asshole, M/M, Modern AU, Rain, Sunshine - Freeform, Supernatural Elements, Undercover, Weather, Zeff being stubborn, adult characters, mafia, organised crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:15:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23668240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaoiDokiDoki/pseuds/YaoiDokiDoki
Summary: Cold rain lashed on him relentlessly, the puddle at his feet almost soaking his ankles.Overhead, the soft rays of dawn gently coaxed the clear, cloudless sky out of its deep slumber.Vinsmoke Sanji, yet to find his sunshine.(Multi-chapter fic)
Relationships: Aka Ashi no Zeff | Red-Leg Zeff & Vinsmoke Sanji, Dracule Mihawk & Roronoa Zoro, Mugiwara Kaizoku | Strawhat Pirates & Vinsmoke Sanji, Nami & Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji, Roronoa Zoro/Vinsmoke Sanji, Vinsmoke Sanji & Vinsmoke Family
Comments: 14
Kudos: 323





	1. Chapter 1

A shudder ran down Sanji's spine, more due to his thoughts, than from the cold, relentless rain. His vision clouded over -- from the water or his tears, he couldn't say. He leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him once more, praying to any heavenly entity that would listen to him. The droplets ran down his face, lingering on his eyelashes, tracing his cheekbones, before finally dripping from his chin, onto his hands. His clothes had been soaked hours ago; clinging to the curves and the dips of his muscles, making every groove of his slender frame stand out. The park bench was overflowing, thanks to the continuous stream of water; the puddle at his feet almost up to his ankle.

Overhead, the birds chirped, and the leaves swayed in the breeze, as the soft rays of dawn gently coaxed the the clear, cloudless sky out of its deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

His chest felt tight, like someone had swathed reams and reams of bandages around his torso. Out of all the days Pudding could've called, she chose _today_. Out of all the days she could have broken up, she chose _today_. Out of all the days they could've attacked, they chose _today_. Hands trembling, he reached into his pocket for another cigarette, but it slipped out of his fingers and fell into the puddle with a soft _splosh_. His last cigarette.

Sanji looked up towards the heavens, letting his tears mix with the rain, breathing in as deep as he could, till he felt his lungs stretch and sting. The phantom bandages loosened a little, before closing in around his chest once again. Zeff was still lying unconscious in the hospital, and Baratie lay half-gutted. Between losing his limbs and losing Baratie, Zeff would've chosen the former in a heartbeat, yet here they were. And all this, for whom? For his worthless son, who had already made him give up a limb, and now was on the verge of taking away his life and his restaurant in the same breath.

Anger erupted from somewhere deep within. Shitty, stubborn old geezer. All he had to do was give up Sanji. It's not like he was a stranger to people giving up on him. And THIS time, he wouldn't even mind! His very life was too cheap a price to pay for Zeff's happiness. If only!

A bird took off noisily from the branch overhead, the flapping of it's wings brought his mind back to the present. The dark inky sky had turned deep lavender. He checked his watch. 5:45 am. Nearly Dawn. He'd spent close to 3 hours in that desolate park.

"No point going home now." He heaved himself onto his feet. The rain was relentless, lashing down on his lithe body, yet doing nothing to soothe his temper or his mind. 

"Might as well grind some coffee."

~~~~~~

The southern exit of the park led directly to a narrow, gravelled path lined with thickets, which in turn led to the backyard of his cafe, The La Martiniere. The cafe front opened to the hustle and bustle of the main Street, but the back had tables and chairs and was complete shielded from the front by two rows of orange trees. Nami had designed it for him, and when he'd gently pointed out that it clashed with the suave theme of his cafe, she'd winked and patted his shoulder and told him that it was 'Gap Moe'. He didn't know what was 'Gap Moe', but Nami had winked at him, so he'd go with it. 

His shoes crunched on the gravel, feet feeling like lead. The citrus scent wafting towards him grew stronger, the familiar aroma putting his mind slightly to ease. For some reason, his anxiety had been telling him that maybe his cafe was on fire too, but the refreshing smell of oranges meant that it was safe. 

For now.

His slouch straightened a bit. What was done, was done. Now to plan onwards. 

He turned at a corner, and the cafe came into view. Sanji's eyebrows shot up in surprise. A man was dozing on one of the tables, arms crossed in front of him and chin buried in his barrel chest. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and dark pants, and his dark grey coat lay on the table in front of him. From where Sanji stood, he could only see the man's left profile, and boy, was he huge. He seemed to take up the entire space in a table meant for four. But this wasn't what surprised Sanji.

The sun hadn't even crossed the horizon, yet the man was bathed in the purest, most translucent golden sunlight sanji had ever seen. It made him seem almost ethereal, with his earrings twinkling and his dark hair appearing greenish-golden. The sunshine glistened on the tanned jaw and furrowed eyebrows, giving him the appearance of a sculpture in deep thought. As if the heavens decided to open up and pour their light onto him and him only.

Sanji stared, too mesmerised to move-- as if, by moving, he'd somehow break the spell. But he had to return to Zeff, and the thought of the half-burnt Baratie sobered him enough to make him take a step forward. He walked as quietly as he could, gently raising the latch of the wooden picket fence and pushing it open. Stepping onto the smooth tiled floor, he made his way to the sleeping man. 

Up close, he was even more like a statue--perfectly crafted veins stuck out of his calloused hands and neck, a scar over one eye, jaw clenched even as he took a nap in an unfamiliar place. Sanji had certainly never seen him before-- he'd remember the sunshine if he had. 

The downpour had turned into a steady drizzle, not beating down on him anymore. Time to wake up the first customer of the day.

He raised his hand to tap on the man's shoulder, but stopped midway when his eye flew open and the man turned to look at him with a steady gaze, brow still furrowed. 

That scar wasn't merely for show, it seemed.

"Would you like some coffee?"

"And you are?" There was no animosity, neither in the question nor in his gaze, yet the man's rigid stance remained. 

"The owner." Sanji smiled.

"The man's eye widened for a split second, before his posture loosened up a bit, and his brows unfurrowed.

"Yes please."

"Anything else you'd want with it?"

The man studied Sanji for a few seconds, as if making up his mind, then said, "Cheese crackers," and gave a little smile. 

If Sanji was surprised, he didn't show it. Years and years of waiting at tables in the Baratie had made him adept in the art of The Poker Face. He could feel his Poker Face subconsciously taking over, because when the man smiled, something impossible happened-- the sunshine got brighter, more healing, almost shimmering.

"Coming right up!" Sanji smiled back. Now it was the man's turn to stare. Sanji felt the urge to say something, anything, to break that stare. 

"Come inside?"

It took a few seconds for the man to catch what he said. Sanji could practically see the gears of his brain turn, as he tried to process Sanji's words. When it finally clicked, the man just nodded and pushed back his chair, grabbing his coat with his free hand. As he stood up, his head brushed against the umbrella-shade of the table, cementing Sanji's first impression of him-- the customer was Adonis personified.

Sanji turned and swiftly walked towards the doors, fumbling in his pockets for the keys. The man followed him silently. Something in his gaze back then was making sanji incredibly conscious _now_. When the key clicked and the doors swung open, the cool air with coffee and cinnamon hit his senses and he let out a small sigh of relief he didn't know he'd been holding in. Walking in, he flipped on the air conditioning, and the automated window shutters opened with a whirr. The sun had still not come up, so he switched on the central light too, right above his work space, then grabbed his apron and rolled up his sleeves. Now to get to work.

The man, for his part, chose the seat on the counter nearest to his coffee grinder; small talk was the only way out.

"Your name?" Sanji asked engagingly, pushing a bowl of cheese crackers towards the man, as his hands smoothly began their work. He relapsed into a half-conscious haze; cooking was indeed therapeutic.

"Zoro." After a tiny pause, "And yours?"

"Sanji." He measured the roasted coffee beans carefully, before turning around and putting them into the grinder and switching it on.

"As in 3 o'clock?"

Sanji's head snapped up and he whipped around. "And how do you know that?"

"Half Japanese," Zoro shrugged.

Sanji's shoulders sagged and he let out a huff, then beamed. "Me too."

"And the other half?" Zoro asked, popping another cheese cracker into his mouth.

"Half french" Sanji replied, turning back.

Zoro hummed and looked around. 

"Nice place, this."

"Extension of our main restaurant. You seem new here." 

"Yes, came here to attend a funeral." Well, thought Zoro, almost. 

"I'm sorry."

"Don't mind it. Do you usually open this early?"

"Haha no, today is... Let's say exceptional? We usually open at 9 and close by 2."

"I see." Both of them relapsed into silence. 

Sanji sifted the ground coffee to a filter paper and put in some more beans, the aroma of roasted coffee spreading everywhere. The water bubbled, he added some ground coffee to it, and the strainer was ready to strain some of the best brewed coffee in all of Grand Line. Sanji took a cigarette from his secret drawer and lit it, waiting for the coffee to tell him that it was ready to be poured out. 

They sat in comfortable silence for a few more minutes before Sanji's internal clock went off and he stubbed the cigarette. Setting two cups down on the counter, he carefully lifted the mug and strained the coffee, first into one mug, then into another. 

"Milk or sugar?"

"Neither."

"Alright then." Placing one of the cups on a saucer, Sanji gently slid it towards Zoro and smiled. "Enjoy." Zoro nodded his thanks.

Sanji took the other cup and leaned against the cabinet opposite to the counter, taking a long sip of the hot coffee and letting it scald his mouth. He found the sting comforting, as the coffee slid down his throat, down his gullet, finally settling down in the pit of his stomach. Ah, the little joys of life. A _perfectly_ brewed cup of coffee, if he might say so himself.

He raised his cup for a second sip, and nonchalantly glanced over at his customer, who, undoubtedly, must have been floored.

But Zoro was busily blowing on his coffee, his cheeks puffed, his thin lips shaped in a small 'o'.

Sanji nearly spat out his coffee and doubled over, struggling not to choke on his laughter.

"What?" Zoro.... _pouted_?

"I-I am sorry," Sanji took out his handkerchief to wipe his mouth. "Didn't know you had a cat's tongue."

"Now you do." Zoro scowled, clearly embarrassed.

"Pour it on the saucer." Sanji advised, grinning from ear to ear. "It'll cool down much faster that way."

"Who does that." Zoro huffed.

"Only the two of us here, you don't need to be embarrassed." He ended with a wink.

Zoro's scowl didn't leave his face, but he followed Sanji's instructions. Whatever apprehensions he might have had, vanished with the first sip. The scowl disappeared. He took one sip, then another, and another, while Sanji looked on, fascinated at how much Zoro seemed to be enjoying his coffee. Well, not any coffee, but _Sanji's_ coffee, so there was that.

Zoro gulped down the last of the coffee like he was parched. Sanji was already ready with the coffee mug in hand, and wordlessly refilled the saucer, his own coffee forgotten. He'd reheat it later. The scene unfolding in front of him was too mesmerising to miss. 

The ritual was repeated several times, and stopped only when the mug ran out of coffee. Zoro looked like a well-fed tiger, and Sanji's face was flushed. When was the last time he'd enjoyed seeing someone eat his food? Seeing _others_ enjoy his food was a regular affair, but the last time _he_ had felt this giddy and proud was when he made some lasagna and Zeff had eaten it without a single complaint, and THAT had been nearly two years back. Funny that he remembered it now. 

"-ll?"

Zoro's voice brought him out of his reverie. 

"I'm sorry what?"

"The bill." Zoro repeated, slightly louder. Till now his voice had been low, but now sanji noted that it was a rough baritone. 

"On the house." He answered.

"I don't keep debts." Pat came Zoro's reply.

Sanji _almost_ rolled his eyes. "It isn't a debt. It's on-the-house." 

"Some business sense you have there, huh," Zoro smirked. Sanji bristled, but said nothing.

Seeing that he failed to get Sanji riled up, Zoro got up with a little sigh and put on his coat. "I'll be off then," and turned to leave.

"The coffee!" Sanji called out after him.

"What?” Zoro looked back, confused.

"Was it good?"

Zoro stared. Then a full-blown, shit-eating grin smile slowly creeped on to his face. Sanji would **DIE** before he'd admit it, but that smile flipped a switch somewhere in the back of his mind. 

" 'Twas ok. I've had better." Zoro grinned and swing open the glass doors, and just like that, Sanji's sunshine was gone.

"The little bastard," Sanji smirked and saw him walk down the path as long as he could, silently contemplating two revelations.

One. Zoro's sunshine clearly rose and ebbed. Rose while talking to him, ebbed when they sat in silence. The only thing he didn't know was whether this was the case when Zoro was just with him, or whether it was a general phenomenon. And no, that wasn't a pang of jealousy he just felt. Never.

The second revelation was more... sobering. It had struck him at the same time he'd felt that _switch_ flip in his mind, and it hinted at something Sanji wasn't ready to face, at least, not just yet. He had more pressing issues to tackle. But he couldn't simply ignore it.

He couldn't ignore, that for the first time in his life, someone other than Zeff had made the Rain stop.


	3. Chapter 3

I.

People are born with their own little atmospheres-- with their own rain, sunshine, winds, thunder. There are those who can _see_ others weather, those was can _sense_ them, those who cant _see_ but can _sense_ , those who can do neither, and then there are a select few who do not _experience_ any such thing at all. They do not have their own rain or sunshine, they are just abnormal beings in a world where the Bizarre is the Normal. 

Much like feelings, these 'weather' conditions rise and ebb in tandem with emotions and circumstances. Most eminent psychologists, therapists and psychiatrists can _see_ them and diagnose their patients accordingly. There are those who have a greater affinity for sunshine, and those who have a greater affinity for rain. Also, the weather does not appear the same to all those who can _see_. For someone, a person's sunshine may hardly be noticeable, while for someone else, that sunshine may be the brightest. 

A few others require a trigger to be able to _see_. Like a life-changing event or meeting someone special. 

In any case, the categories are by no means exclusive, and it's the norm to find them overlapping. A person who _experiences_ may also _sense_ , and those who do not _experience_ may be able to _see_.

II

Vinsmoke Sanji spent the first eight years of his life living a tortured, battered, loveless existence, with the ability to _see_ weather, but not _experience_ it. It was only when Zeff came into his life that he finally found the trigger which set off his Mind's Eye. Over the years he met many people, made many friends and some enemies too, all of whom affected him to various degrees, but only Zeff could stop the Rain. The Rain that poured over him Everytime something went wróng, no matter how small that thing was, or he found himself in a situation that had no escape, or he was wracked by the memories of his childhood. All Zeff needed to do was make his presence known, and the Rain would stop, as if by magic. Zeff himself didn't _experience_ it, but he could _sense_ , and even though he'd kick Sanji before admitting it to him, but he'd be there in a heartbeat for Sanji.

However, for the first time in his twenty eight years of existence, Sanji's faced a situation, where seeing Zeff didn't stop the downpour; seeing him only made it worse. As he stood by the bedside in the hospital room, soaked from head to toe, looking down on Zeff's pale face and inert figure, something cracked inside him. Pipes and tubes and machines formed a spider web around him, with Zeff as the prey. His past, like a relentless parasite, refused to let go of him, and had now spread its tentacles to grasp his most cherished person firmly.

Again that familiar, helpless anger bubbled in his chest. At Zeff and his stubborn ways, and at his own weakness. The heavens had finally taken pity on him and granted him one single person who truly cared for him, and not only was he unable to protect him, he was also too weak to retaliate. His hands balled themselves into fists, his entire frame trembling with rage. If only he'd been at the Baratie at that time. If only he hadn't been chasing Pudding. If only-

"He's out of danger." Law's smooth voice floated towards him. "But it'll be some time before he's conscious."

Sanji's fists loosened, his shoulders sagged.

"Is that-" his voice cracked. He pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back tears.

"There's nothing more you can do here. Go home and leave it to me. I'll stay."

Sanji turned to look at Law, then back to Zeff, and then back again at Law.

"Yeah."

III.

The night air of the park stung his lungs, much more than the acrid smoke of his cigarette. He leaned back and let the Rain beat down on his face, his neck, his hands, his arms, the drops feeling like icicles piercing through his skin. He could see the stars twinkling, but they seemed so far away, too far away. As if he didn't belong to the same universe as them, just like he hadn't belonged anywhere till Zeff took him in.

The cigarette continued to burn in the rain.

IV.

The sun was high up, hot enough to make people ditch the beach and huddle in air conditioned cafes and ice cream parlours. Sanji, for his part, had been on his feet since the time he swung open the doors for Mr. Adonis in the morning, and had just got off the call from Inspector Smoker, who said he'd send someone to gather the info and interview the employees. Since Last Martiniere and Baratie worked on alternate shifts, he still had five more hours to decide whether he'd turn La Martiniere into Baratie-Lite or keep the cafe running like before and cease operations for Baratie altogether, till it was completely renovated. Franky had stopped by to assess the damage, and told him that even in the best case scenario it'd be at least three weeks before the Baratie was up and running. Sanji's couldn't let the raw materials go to waste. In which case La Martiniere had to step up. But that again would require modifications to accommodate more people, besides other changes like adding a brand new cold storage and refrigeration unit, which had gone completely bust in the fire. He'd have to talk to Franky about that. 

His brain was working furiously, making mental notes of everything, and so were his hands. The Baratie opened at 4 pm, it was 11 am currently and people were pouring in for brunch. 

Sanji was thankful for the rush. It kept his mind off other things, like Law's phone call which said Zeff hadn't regained consciousness.

"Four orders of Egg's Benedict and three of Mashed potatoes, Chef!"

"Coming right up!”

V.

"Why me?”

Dracule Mihawk looked up from the newspaper to see Zoro standing across the room. 

"Because I asked you to." He answered, disappearing behind the newspaper again.

"Not that." Zoro said. "Why send me, when Persona would have been better, given the nature of the subject?"

"Fool." Mihawk folded the newspaper and neatly set it down on the ebony coffee table, picking up his wine glass and swirling the wine, before taking a small sip. Zoro waited.

"That is precisely why I sent you. And also, because it is too high-profile to be left to anyone else."

Zoro said nothing. Mihawk stared back. 

"Strange for you to feel uncomfortable, given the harmless nature of the mission. Or is it because it is harmless that you feel uncomfortable?" Mihawk smiled, if it could be called that.

"I do not work for Judge." Came the stiff reply. 

"A petty thing to be vexed by."

"Then why can't I report directly to you, like always?"

The air in the room suddenly turned parched, though Mihawk's tone remained unchanged.

"Because the client had asked for direct reports from you, and I agreed to the contract." The emphasis was on 'I'.

Zoro said nothing for a few seconds, meeting Mihawk's gaze steadily. 

"Very well then." Finally, he relented, without lowering his gaze.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been a week since the incident, and Zeff had finally come to his senses. The first thing he did was to yell at Sanji to stop moping around and bring down Zeff's own spirits, so Sanji had to be sent out by the nurses, with no choice but to go back to the La Martiniere. That old geezer. How dare he make Sanji cry tears of relief.

Franky and Co. had been working overtime, but even then Franky had told him to sit tight for three weeks. The new cold storage had already been up and running for a few days now, which was a huge relief. Usopp and Nami had redesigned the cafe, and he'd turned it into Baratie Lite. As such the staff for both places were different and worked at different shifts, so overall things were starting to get back to normal. At least, as normal as possible.

"Arson and attempt to murder," Detective Shu informed him of the charges against 'person or persons unknown'. The 'persons' weren't unknown to Sanji, but a court of law and the police would demand proof, and he didn't have any. He was more acutely aware of this _now_ than ever before, as he sat across the detective, a non-descript man with a weak sunshine. It was close to midnight. Baratie Lite had closed shutters for the day. 

"So you say that you can think of no one who might have had a grudge against you or Mr. Zeff?

"Yes."

"No one at all?" The Detective didn't look convinced. "Not even a chance acquaintance? Or a restaurant owner who went out of business thanks to you?"

Sanji grit his teeth.

"None at all, Detective. We were the first to open an eatery in this locality."

Detective Shu nodded. "Then how about someone who might have a _personal_ grudge? Anything along those lines?"

"Nothing that would warrant a personal attack on an unarmed old man, and nothing that Zeff couldn't handle himself."

"But you cannot be sure, Mr. Vinsmoke. One can never know how deep a hurt can go."

"Indeed," answered Sanji stiffly, and said nothing.

"Then would you please go over the events of the day, as you remember it."

_Finally_ something he wouldn't have to lie about. Sanji heaved a mental sigh of relief.

"I left home at around 7 in the morning, as usual. Patty and Cairn were already here. It was Wednesday, our in-house Couple's Special day, and it needs special prepar-"

"Is it well known?” the detective interrupted.

"Yes it is well known. Wednesdays have been our Couple's Special since the time we started."

"Please go on."

Sanji continued. "The day went by smoothly. La Martiniere opens at 9 am and closes by 2 pm, Baratie opened at 4 and closes by midnight, sometimes later. That day I left early, at around 7 pm, due to a phone call, and while I was away..." His voice trailed.

"What was the nature of the phone call?"

"Pardon?”

"I meant, was it a business or a personal call," Shu clarified.

"I see. Personal."

"Who was the person who had called?"

"One of my personal acquaintances."

"And the reason for the call?"

"Personal reasons." Pat came the reply. 

"What personal reasons?" The Detective pressed on.

"Reasons of a personal nature." Two could play this game.

The detective gave up first. "Please go on."

"It was while I was away that I got a phone call from Cairn saying that some people had barged in from the back entrance, attacked Zeff, and set fire to the kitchen and cold storage before escaping. The staff fought back, so did Zeff, but they were more in number and had weapons. "

"The security?"

"Shot in the right arm and right leg." 

"Did anyone see how they escaped?"

"In a blue truck, according to the staff."

"And then?"

"I rushed to the hospital as soon as I got the news. Zeff was unconscious, he'd fought back but one of the bastards managed to get a solid hit on his head."

"Hmm." The detective shuffled some papers in front of him on the table. " So far everything you've said collaborates with the accounts of the staff." He put back the papers in his coat pocket and leaned forward, giving Sanji a slimy smile.

"The personal call you had received was from Charlotte Pudding, your fiance, yes?”

Sanji's jaw clenched.  
"And how does that matter?" He hissed.

"Or rather, should we say," the detective continued smugly, "your _ex_ -fiance ?"

Thunder crackled. Sanji's chair flew back and crashed against the wall just as his fist banged on the table. "How dare-"

Shu was on his feet immediately. "Please calm down, calm down and we'll be able to get somewhere."

"How dare you Snoop around?!" Sanji yelled. "This is private information!"

"Please answer the question, Mr. Sanji." The detective was quivering. Bitten off more than he could chew, had he?

"I will answer nothing. Out you go."

Sanji heaved the detective's sleeve and began to drag him towards the door.

"That'll be enough." A voice boomed towards them from the backyard door. Sanji whirled around to see a man in an overcoat, dense mist swirling around him. Maybe it was most, maybe it was smoke from the man's cigar.

"Manhandling a uniformed officer is a punishable offénce, Mr. Vinsmoke."

"So is snooping around for private information, isn't it?" Sanji growled back.

"The police aren't as stupid as you might think," the man replied icily, making his way over to where the visibly shaken detective was still firmly in Sanji's grasp. "Captain Smoker at your service."

Sanji slowly let go of the Detective's sleeve, who promptly took a few steps away from Sanji and saluted Smoker. Smoker nodded and flipped his thumb towards the back door. Without even a passing glance Detective Shu strode out, stumbling over a chair and nearly banging his face on the glass door.

"A very efficient force you have, indeed." Sanji smirked. 

Smoker's jaw clenched on his cigar. Instead of retorting to the jibe he simply took his ID and flashed it at Sanji, who grunted and pulled a chair for himself.

"Let me pick up from where the good Detective left," Smoker began as he took a seat.

"That day, about 30 minutes before the attack commenced, you received a phone call from Miss Charlotte Pudding and rushed to meet her."

Sanji said nothing.

"I'll take that as a yes," Smoker went on. "So from 7 pm to about 10 on, you were with her?"

"......yes." The memories of that evening were flooding his brain now. It was taking herculean effort to appear nonchalant.

"And you believe she is completely innocent?"

"Captain." Sanji smiled, but Smoker got the impression that if he uttered a single word on that issue he'd have his face caved in.

So they stared at each other for some time in silence, Sanji waiting for the next question and Smoker contemplating his next question. The ash from his cigar plopped onto the glass table, right next to the ashtray. He made no move to clean it, nor did he move his cigar. Sanji's temple throbbed, while the mist around Smoker thickened.

Finally he stubbed his cigar and moved his chair closer to the table. 

"Now I will ask you some questions to which you'll reply in a yes or no. Are we clear, Mr. Sanji?"

"How convenient." Sanji's smile didn't falter.

"Do you think that your biological family might have a hand in this?"

Sanji's smile was wiped right off his face. If the question about Pudding made him angry, this question made him bare his teeth, fists trembling in rage.

"What the fuck do you mean?"

"I'm the one asking the questions." Smoker wasn't about to back down.

"Exactly how low are you people going to stoop?" Sanji thundered, his voice echoing off the walls.

"I told you as soon as I entered, do not underestimate the police. It is in your best interests to tell me all you can."

Sanji seethed, his nails digging into his palm. How much did this bastard know? How much did they all know? Was there no end to this humiliation?

"The sooner you cooperate, the closer we'll be to finding out who hurt your father, Mr. Sanji."

Sanji's eyes widened, and he felt his anger ebb slightly, as if Smoker making it known that he _knew_ Zeff was Sanji's father somehow acted as a soothing balm to his frayed nerves.

Sanji's face was unreadable behind his bangs. Smoker had just one card up his sleeve, and he'd used it. Now to wait and watch.

"I-" began Sanji, then hesitated. Smoker waited.

"I call him Zeff." He completed, looking away.

Smoker's eyebrows rose, and for the first time since her stepped into the Cafe, he smiled.

"Endearing."

"Shut up." Sanji's scowl was back in place. "First you will tell me all you know. It's only fair that I know how much you know."

Smoker nodded and took out a sheaf of paper from his pocket.

".... The Vinsmokes are a very prominent family, formerly royalty, with interests and ventures in diverse fields from science and medicine to weapons, artillery and philanthropy. The family is headed by Mr. Vinsmoke Judge, and the businesses are handled jointly by his daughter and three sons. As everyone knows his wife died soon after giving birth to quadruplets, and one son died in childhood in a freak accident. A man of great intellect and ambition, he has the reputation of being a strict task-master, and his razor sharp business acumen has now led to a joint venture between the Germa 66 Corporation and the BM conglomerate, headed by none other than Charlotte 'Big Mom' Linlin..." Smoker stopped reading, put the paper back into his pocket, and continued.

" There are two things this article doesn't mention. One, that the fourth son isn't dead. It is you.”

"Yes." Sanji spat out the word.

"And two, that Judge has been demanding that Mr. Zeff hand you over to him, legally. That is all I know."

Sanji's ears perked up. "I?"

"Yes. This is what I have come across in my private investigation. The Police only knows that Charlotte Pudding have called off the engagement." He pulled out another cigar from his pocket, lit it and took a deep drag. The mist around him had calmed down a little.

Sanji took a deep breath, as if making up his mind, and exhaled. If Smoker had uncovered so much, he'd uncover the rest too. Might as well tell him and get it out of the way.

"I was officially adopted by Zeff when I was eight. Judge did not have any _use_ for a son who did not manifest weather, like his other sons did, and my mother had already passed away, so I wasn't treated too kindly." He gave a bitter smile. "So I ran away, when we had gone to Italy for a vacation. Judge had flung a glass of whiskey at my head, that was the day I decided to make a run for it. I got on a cruise ship and begged them to take me as a kitchen help, which they did, but the ship itself capsized a few weeks later, and when I woke up I'd somehow landed up at Zeff's doorstep. He took me in, seeing that I had nowhere else to go, and the rest, as they say, is history." Boy, exactly how many details was he leaving out? The abuse meted out to him, how Judge wanted him dead, and how Zeff had sacrificed his leg to protect him, a runt of a boy he didn't even know, when Judge had sent men to kill Sanji? 

"The Vinsmokes didn't know about you?” 

Sanji chuckled. Smoker was a smart man, it seemed.

"Sent men to kill me. Zeff drove them off, lost his leg, and Judge decided I wasn't worth the trouble, so he said he'd leave us alone provided I never showed my face to him ever again."

He paused, then continued," But now he wants to do business in Big Mom's territory, and since she does business only with family, he needed a scapegoat. He approached Zeff, who flatly refused to nullify the adoption. They threatened him, I had to step in. I told them I'd marry whoever they wanted me to, if they left Zeff and the Baratie alone. They agreed and I got engaged to Charlotte Pudding. But Big Mom came to know if it, and since Zeff is still my father in the eyes of law, _Zeff_ and not _Judge_ would be 'family' for her, legally. They've tried all sorts of ways to make Zeff give in, but he didn't budge," Sanji blinked back angry tears," and now, finally, they resorted to physical violence."

"They shot the guard, but not Mr. Zeff or any of the staff."

"Yes," replied Sanji. "They could have, if they'd had the orders for that, but Judge wants to scare me and Zeff into submission, he won't go as far as outright killing any of us. He plans to make me obey him by using Zeff as a bait."

Smoker looked on, then asked," What do you think of Miss Charlotte Pudding?"

Sanji blinked, clearly caught off-guard by the question. "She's sweet," he smiled a little," though a little moody."

_Completely schizo,_ is what Smoker had heard about her. And also that Sanji worshipped the ground which she walked on.

"Her relation with her mother?"

"Completely under her mother's thumb."

"And even then, Mr. Sanji, you refuse to see the link between her and this attack?"

Sanji's brows creased. Smoker went on.

"Charlotte Pudding _happens_ to be completely under her mother's control. Her mother _happens_ to have a problem with Zeff. Miss Pudding _happens_ to conveniently call you and ask to meet you on the same day as, and barely half an hour before, the attack, knowing full well that the chivalrous man you are, you will rush over to meet her, leaving the restaurant and Zeff alone. You are a smart man, Mr. Sanji, but those with eyes willfully closed aren't blind. They only need to open their eyes."

Sanji knew. He knew, but Smoker saying it all so blatantly stung harder than he'd thought it would. 

"My eyes are wide open, Captain," Sanji snapped, "and for someone who belongs to this field, you sure work more on conjecture than on facts."

"Not at all," Smoker smirked, "I'm simply laying down some facts before you, much if which you've told me yourself."

"Then what are you implying?" Sanji was getting tired now.

"That Big Mom, and not Germa, may have been responsible for this attack. At the very least, there is some direct involvement on their part, and you better be on your guard because it's not just one, but two dangerous families that are hot on your heels. That is all." He pushed back his chair and offered his card. "Let me know immediately if anything else happens. I'll drop by again to keep you updated. Hopefully Mr. Zeff recovers soon."

Sanji stood up, slightly in a daze, and took his card, offering him one of his own. Smoker nodded and they shook hands, and soon Sanji was standing alone, still locked in a stupor. A loud honking outside stirred his senses, and he quickly checked his watch. 

"3 am huh," he whistled. "Time to take a walk." His shoes slushed through the rainwater as he made his way out of the Cafe, locking the door behind him. A slight sense of Deja Vu settled on him. The entire while he was with the policemen, he thought he'd drown. Only towards the end did the rain let up a bit, only to come back with a vengeance when Smoker told him straight that Big Mom might be targeting Zeff. The Vinsmokes he could handle. Judge wouldn't dare, because if anything really serious happened to Zeff, he'd lose the only leverage he had over Sanji. But Big Mom?

The park bench called out to him. Time for some self-pity time huh. But it seemed someone else had the same intention as he had, for the bench was already occupied. 

"Zoro!"

Zoro looked up, startled, and saw Sanji standing round the corner. 

The Rain over Sanji stopped, just as Deja Vu crashed over both of them.


	5. Chapter 5

"Look, he's here again!" A lady fiercely whispered to her friend.

The two ladies sat in the La Martiniere, one of them sipping coffee and the other eating a banana split at 8 am in the morning. The topic of interest was a well built, dark haired man, sitting by himself on the counter, arms crossed on the counter top. 

The other lady discreetly glanced over the rim of her coffee cup as she took a sip. However, unlike her friend, she did not whisper frantically. 

"So he is," she smiled.

"And he's not wearing a dress shirt today, how bizarre! " Her friend was close to squealing. "A green cardigan! Doesn't he look so much younger?"

"Do you think he should've left his sleeves unrolled?"

"Noooo OMG the only way to wear long -sleeved cardigans is to roll up the sleeves till the elbow! Plus look at his arms, can you see me drooling?"

Her friend chuckled. "That's tru- the Barista's here!" Her voice may or may not have risen a few notches.

The banana split girl whipped around. Sure enough, the blonde barista had returned to the counter and was now talking to the cardigan man with a little smile. The dark haired man said something and grinned, the barista blushed slightly and tucked his hair behind his ears. Then he grabbed his coffee machine and set to work, turning his back to them.

" Isn't the barista the owner too? And Mafioso is totally checking out his ass again."

"Did you see the way Blondie smiled?"

"Why don't they just go out already, dammit."

"Who do you think will confess first?"

"Bet it's the Mafioso."

"I think it'll be the owner."

"In any case, mafia-man has been hanging out here almost everyday. He should man up."

Her friend nodded and checked her watch.  
"Oh shoot! We're gonna be late!"

They hurried over to the cashier.

II.

"Any louder and the whole Cafe would have heard them." Zoro smirked.

Sanji smiled and poured coffee into the cup. "They're regulars, work in an office down the street. Have taken a great liking to you, it seems." He added, teasingly.

"Me? It's you they were gawking at." Zoro huffed.

"Oh c'mon," Sanji blushed and waved away the suggestion. "The coffee will get cold."

"Yup," Zoro mumbled, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks as well. Ah, thought Sanji, his sunshine got brighter.

"Anything else you'd want?" He asked aloud.  
Zoro shook his head. By now Sanji had got used to the five-minute ritual Zoro had, of blowing on his coffee, as discreetly as possible when there were people around. 

"Is the coffee good?” he asked, leaning forward on the counter.

Sanji's face at such close proximity threw Zoro off-guard for a few seconds. 

"Tis good." He hurriedly replied. "How's your father doing?"

"Discharged day before yesterday. He's doing well."

"That's good to know."

Sanji smiled, a genuine full-fledged smile.

"Thank you."

Zoro stared. For a minute too long. Then quickly looked away.

"Basic courtesy." 

"Not many people have it." Sanji retorted. "I gave you a compliment, sit down and accept it, idiot."

"Huh?" Zoro scowled, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Who gives a compliment like that?"

"Me. Deal with it."

Zoro didn't have a comeback to that. Very few people could silence him, and those who could, had known him for decades. Except Sanji. It all came back to Sanji.

"Are you free this weekend?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm no, Tuesdays are my day off. Why?”

"Just askin' "

Just then Conis, a part-time, came rushing towards them breathlessly. "Chef! They need help in the kitchen!" 

"Enjoy the coffee!" He waved at Zoro before disappearing behind the swinging doors.  
Zoro nodded in acknowledgement. 

So Tuesdays it was. Zoro sat there for some time, contemplating his next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter hehe, I hope you liked it!  
> But sheesh, writing dialogues is not easy at all...


	6. Chapter 6

I.

Sanji swung open the doors and stepped into the kitchen. Making the entire working space as sound-proof as possible had been a great decision in hindsight. Zeff's voice boomed over at him, he yelled right back. The sense of unease still persisted in the back of his mind, but his heart was relieved. Zeff was up and about once again. When he'd been away it had felt as if Baratie had been stripped of its soul. 

He grumbled some more while sharpening his knives. But it was time to get to work. 

II.

Close to midnight. All customers attended to. The next days preparations done. Kitchen almost Completely cleaned. He gave the soup counter one last swipe and leaned back. He'd put of one task though, and now he'd run out of excuses. 

"There's Moss on top," Zeff smacked his head, lightly enough to not hurt yet hard enough to sting. 

"Huh?" He snapped.

"It's living rent-free over there."

Sanji's couldn't bring himself to ask Zeff if he'd gone mad; what if he really had?! Head injuries could be serious.

"I can see what you're thinking, eggplant," Zeff wriggled a finger at him. "You're a hundred years too early to be doubting my sanity!"

Sanji deadpanned. "What moss. Who's living where."

"The one who comes for coffee." There were hundreds of people who came for coffee, but it pissed Sanji off that he knew exactly _which_ 'one' Zeff was talking about. 

"None of your business." He mumbled, looking away.

"It is entirely my business when the food's getting affected," Zeff retorted. "Barely affected," he added under his breath.

"Wha-It was not!" Sanji shot back, outraged.

Zeff said nothing. Sanji opened his mouth, but shut it again. Zeff sounded serious (he hadn't caught that "barely") and if he was distracted enough to let it affect his culinary skills then maybe he needed to get it off his chest as soon as possible.

"Fine." He relented."I'll take care of it." He grabbed his phone on his way out and the doors swung noiselessly behind him.

Zeff turned to Patty. "What ya lookin' at?"

Patty grinned cheekily. "Say goodbye to grandkids, Owner."

Zeff sighed, too far away to give Patty a kick.

"Aww shucks, don't sigh like that," Cairn called out to him. "I can see how happy you are. Finally found him someone who messed up his cooking, what!”

"Shuddup," Zeff scowled, "hurry and pack up!"

III.

Outside, Sanji looked up at the stars and counselled himself. It wasn't raining on him, so he'd be fine.

"You are NOT a highschooler and you will call up Zoro and invite him like a responsible adult because that's how adults behave and you've been one for a decade now. It's just a party.”

He swiped opened his contact list and scrolled down.

"Just a party."

Tapped on Zoro's name, and put his phone to his ear.

"Just a-"

"Hello?"

"PARTY!" Sanji yelled.

"What?"

The phone slipped and nearly fell; thank God for his reflexes.

"Sanji?" Zoro's voice sounded concerned.

"Yeah so umm there's a party at Nami's house this Saturday. Nothing official, just a hang out. Would you come?"

”Nami?"

"My friend. A designer. You've met her, remember the redhead?" Talking about Nami gave him a grip on his sanity, which he had nearly lost thanks to embarrassment.

"Oh her. Yeah, saw her yesterday. Wouldn't it be odd though? Outsider and all that."

"She asked me to invite you."

"Ok then. So Saturday?"

"5 pm. Be at Baratie, I'll come pick you up."

"Roger."

"See you then." Sanji hung up.

We~ll. Zoro didn't sound amused or annoyed, so maybe his embarrassing antics had been overlooked. Whew.

The breeze blew gently, ruffling his hair.

Maybe he really was a highschooler at heart.

IV. 

Zoro stared at his phone for a long time, going over the conversation in his head over and over again. Sanji's incredibly husky voice wasn't helping matters either.

"Falling in love with targets is forbidden."

He nearly jumped out of his skin and whipped around. Perona sat on his bed, resting her chin on her hand and looking supremely bored. 

"When will you stop doing that?" He glared at her, trying to fight away his shame and failing miserably. 

Perona shrugged. "He must be re~ally hot, since he's making YOU dreamy-eyed and shit."

Zoro bristled. "Enough."

Perona continued, not paying him any attention. "Maybe I should hit on him?"

The air crackled and her Chihuahua whined and ducked behind her legs. Zoro's eye had merely twitched.

"Ok, ok, no need to be so sensitive about your boy~friend," she raised her hands in mock surrender. 

"He is NOT my-"

But Perona was already out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7

I.

Nami bit deeply into the well-buttered muffin. "Why don't you ask him out on a proper date?”

"How does a grown-ass man ask another grown-ass man out on a freaking date? Wish I'd done that in high school," Sanji grumbled, nimbly slicing through the vegetables.

Nami rolled her eyes. "Just like you've asked all those women out, _Mr. Prince_ ."

Sanji paused his work to give Nami a _look_.

"Alright I'm sorry," she raised her hands in mock-defeat, "but it doesn't have to be as complicated as you're making it out to be."

"Well it isn't _easy_ either," Sanji replied, seasoning the meat pies and pushing them into the oven. Then he straightened up and sighed. Nami smiled fondly.

"The last time I saw you this nervous was back in college, and this isn't even a proper date."

Sanji laughed and blushed slightly. "You've seen the man yourself. Do you really blame me?”

"Well he's a looker alright. How old is he?"

"28. Same as me."

Nami's eyebrows rose in surprise. "He looks like he's at least in his mid-30s."

"Thanks to his job, I guess."

"Oooh, look at you defending your crush," Nami wriggled her eyebrows and gave him a sly grin. Sanji blushed harder.

"Nami-"

"Ok, enough teasing, got it," she relented, "which brings us back to the first question-- why not a date?"

"So I really am bothering you?"

"No, idiot!" She punched him playfully. "You KNOW that's not it! I was the one who I invited him, remember?"

"At MY request," Sanji pressed on.

Now it was Nami's turn to give him a _look_. "You gonna tell me or Nah?"

Sanji smiled, his gentle, handsome face lighting up. 

"Because it makes me feel safe to have all of you around, when I'm trying something new. My safety net!" He beamed.

Nami didn't experience any weather, not did she see it. Never had, and probably never would. But she was sure that if she could, that in that moment, she'd see Sanji shining as brightly as the midday sun.

She stared, then threw her hands around his waist.

"Smile _twice_ at him just like that and see if he isn't on his knees for you by next weekend."

Sanji hugged her right back. It was an awkward one-armed hug, since she was sitting and he was still on his feet, but it was full of warmth and gratitude, and Nami felt it.

"You tell me if he tries anything funny."

Sanji smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I will."

II.

"I'll be off then," Sanji called out as he opened the front door.

"Drive safe!” Chopper and Nami called back from the hall. The entire place had descended into chaos, Luffy had to be physically tied down with ropes and the kitchen locked. The pies were still in the oven, because leave it to Luffy to gobble the first batch as soon as he arrived.

Sanji drove smoothly through the streets, a rising sense of anticipation building in his gut, a small chill running down his spine. He'd really outdid himself with those pies, and all that remained was to pick up Zoro, bring him back and watch his face as he took a bite. 

III.

Zoro stood in the slowly fading golden sunlight, and wondered if he should have worn something more formal. But Sanji had told him it was more of a hang out than anything else, so he'd gone along with a white T shirt and a blue jeans shirt over it, two buttons done, sleeves rolled up as usual. Perona had teased him to no end when he'd asked her to choose clothes for him, so Sanji better be impressed.

A sedan rolled into the parking lot, and he saw Sanji step out of the driver's seat, looking like a sculpture. The sun hadn't set completely, the rays bouncing off Sanji's hair and his cheeks and his untucked yellow shirt, making it seem like he was bathed in gold dust.

"You're early," Sanji greeted him as Zoro made his way to the passenger's seat. "Were you that excited?" He teased.

Zoro huffed and snapped his seat belt on. "Huh. Thought you'd forget to pick me up or something." 

Sanji rolled his eyes and pulled out of the parking lot. "Boss gave you the day off?"

"Yeah."

"Must be tough."

"Yes and no," Zoro chuckled. "Working with the Government has its perks too."

"Like?"

"Like if ever I wanted to leave Mihawk and join the police or something, I'd get a recommendation and depending on the level of work that I've done for the government they could let me skip a few posts and directly start at a higher post."

"Whoa," Sanji whistled, impressed. "Then why not join the Police after your current assignment is over?"

Zoro turned his gaze away from the window and looked directly ahead. No change in Sanji's demeanour, as visible from the corner of his eye.

"Inertia."

Sanji laughed. Nothing to worry about, Zoro thought. He'd told Sanji he worked for Mihawk's company which provided security to elites and often collaborated with the Government, which was.... true enough, in a way. He hadn't told him about that actually being a FRONT company, and a few others details, like how his current assignment was literally Sanji.

"How did you get away?" 

"These hang outs are a regular thing," Sanji answered. "Zeff was glad to have me out of the Baratie for a change," he added with a small laugh.

They sat in silence for sometime, then Zoro asked," How many people?"

"Nine, including you. You'd fit in right away." Sanji smirked, then added, "Do you want music?”

"Why not." Anything to keep his mind away from how tempting Sanji's thighs looked.


	8. Chapter 8

Sanji was smothered as soon as he stepped into the apartment.

"Sanji the pies! Take them out _now_!"

"STOP drooling on my hair Luffy!”

From somewhere inside a man's high-pitched wailing floated towards them, followed by a woman's laughter. A crash and some yelling. Zoro blinked, a polite half-smile on his face. Not even thirty seconds and already he'd got an idea of what to expect.

"Ah! Sanji's new friend!" Finally the dark haired boy realised that he was there too, and turned towards him, still clinging on to Sanji.

"Zoro," Zoro extended a hand.

"Yo! I'm Luffy!" He beamed and shook hands. Zoro's eyebrows rose imperceptibly. For all his goofiness, the kid's grip was firm. Not bad.

They moved to the hall, where a game of cards was underway. As he stepped in Zoro could feel all eyes on him, silently appraising. 

"Guys this is Zoro," Sanji began then turned to Zoro and started pointing to everyone. "So you already know Nami and Luffy, that's Usopp, Franky, Robin, Chopper, Vivi, and Brook." Hey's and Hi's went round.

"Are you good with names?" Chopper asked Zoro.

"Not quite," Zoro smiled. "It'll take some time to remember all your names, I'm afraid."

"Pssh," Ussop made a face. "Look at you acting all formal and shizz."

Zoro laughed along with them. The mood lightened. So Usopp was the ice breaker, he mentally noted. 

The guy with the almost comically huge biceps and a mohawk pushed a bean bag towards him, and he plopped down on it right away, while Sanji went into the kitchen.

"So what are we doing today?" Nami asked, putting away the cards and looking around.

"Movie!", The girl's name was Vivi, if he remembered right.

" I concur," the beautiful raven haired woman smiled.

"Anyone objections?" Usopp asked. "None. So which movie?"

"Kung Fu!" Luffy and Chopper yelled in unison. 

Nami rolled her eyes. "Zoro?"

"Action's good."

"Kung Fu for me too!" Sanji's laughter rang out from the kitchen. 

A mixed bunch, Zoro thought. Sunshine and wind, weak and strong, some with nothing at all. Usually the same types flocked together, but the people in the room, despite being varied, seemed to get along just fine. Interesting.

"Yohoho, it's been a while since I saw an action movie. Truly nostalgic. Mr. Zoro, do you know what I like the most about action movies?" The man with the afro (Brook, was it?) asked.

"What?" Zoro's tone was politely inquisitive.

"The _Babes_ , Mr. Zoro! And their underwe-"

A slipper shot from Nami silenced him. Zoro didn't know how to react.

"Don't mind him," she continued nonchalantly. "Here, choose a movie for us."

Just then Sanji stepped out of the kitchen with a tray of some divine-smelling meat pies, making all of them stop and moan in unison. Zoro had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from joining them.

"Food!" Luffy pounced on Sanji, only to get a foot planted squarely on his face.

"Ladies first, idiot."

_Finally_ the tray made its way to Zoro, with only two pies left. He eagerly picked one up, and sank his teeth into it. _This_ time, he couldn't hold back the moan of satisfaction. In a flash he realized what he'd done, and frantically looked to where Sanji had been standing. Sure enough, he was there, waiting for the tray. Fuck. 

The smirk on Sanji's face told him that at Sanji's wasn't going to let him live this down, _ever_. But instead of rubbing it in then and there, Sanji simply said, "Move."

Zoro stared, unable to stop chewing.

"I said move, Marimo."

"M-Marimo?" He finally found his voice, through a mouthful of pie.

"Yup. Don't hog all the space"

"Where?” 

"The bag's for two. Try shifting."

Zoro scowled, but did as he was told. Miraculously, space appeared on the bag.

Sanji's plopped down beside him and took the tray, lifting the last piece and taking a small bite, chewing slowly and letting the flavours seep through. "Not bad," he nodded.

Nami coughed. "Sanji, Zoro wants more."

Sanji turned to look at Zoro, with a slight, worried frown. "We've run out, though. Damn, should've told me sooner, I'd have given this to you."

"It's not the pie he's hungry for, Sanji." Nami added innocently.

Laughter and whistles ensued. Sanji blushed a deep scarlet, muttering something about it being a load of nonsense. Zoro, on the other hand, didn't know he was capable of feeling embarrassment of this kind.

"So you were choosing a movie for us, Zoro," Vivi gently interrupted the teasing. 

"One Piece Gold sounds good," Zoro shuffled through the list on Nami's phone, the blush still in place. "Anyone's seen it before?"

No one had, so Nami set about searching for it on her Jetflix account. "Just so you know, the remote's gonna stay with me, I've had enough of y'all misplacing it everything you come over!"

"Yes ma'am!”

II.

The doorbell rang halfway through the movie. A collective groan went up.

Nami paused the movie. "So who's gonna get the door?"

"I'll go." Vivi got up from the floor and dusted her jeans. 

"Huh, just let him stand outside, he'll leave eventually." Usopp grumbled. 

"What if it's a lady?" Sanji interrupted.

" _Of course_ you'd be worried about that," Usopp flipped him off and earned a kick in return, prompting laughter from the others.

Just then, Vivi re-entered, looking shaken. All heads turned towards her, and the mood immediately changed.

"Sanji, it's Pudding."


	9. Chapter 9

I.

The air in the room turned parched. Sanji sat there, his stance rigid, his face emotionless. Everyone in the room felt it, and exchanged uncomfortable, worried glances. Chopper, ever sensitive, burst into tears.

"Did you ask her to come in?" Nami turned to Vivi, breaking the silence. Vivi wordlessly shook her head. 

Sanji sighed and forced a smile. "Go ahead with the movie, I'll be right back."

II.

He stepped out of the door and gently closed it behind him. As soon as he stepped out, his shoulders sagged, and his smile dropped. He hadn't expected Pudding to come over to meet him, that too when he wasnt at home. It had been... what, three months since the break up? And NOW she had decided to land up not at his doorstep, but at Nami's. His fist slammed against the wall. The pain brought him back to the present. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. This mess had to be dealt with tactfully. Or at least, as tactfully as humanly possible.

"Pudding?" He called out softly, looking around. She wasnt in the flat.

He stepped out, and peered down the corridor. Sure enough, she was standing near the stairs at the far end, pacing back and forth, too preoccupied to notice Sanji approach her. 

"Puddi-"

She gave a startled shriek and nearly toppled down the stairs.

In a flash Sanji was beside her, grabbing her arm and hauling her towards himself. "Careful there."

"I-I'm so sorry, oh my god," She gasped.

"Easy easy," Sanji smiled at her, gently letting go of her arms, and waiting for her to speak.

"Thank you, and, um, I'm sorry, I guess," she mumbled, looking away and clutching at her skirt.

"For what?" Sanji's voice was steady. 

Her head snapped up. "What's with that tone?! Even though i took the trouble of coming all the way here-"

"I appreciate that," Sanji cut her short. He didnt have the time for another one of her episodes. "But apologise for what, Pudding?" He continued, his voice as level as ever.

"F-For breaking up, of course," she muttered, addressing her heels. 

"You shouldnt apologise for the way you feel."

"And... Also, I'm sorry for what happened to Zeff."

Sanji"s jaw clenched, but he didnt say anything. Pudding continued.

"I'm sorry for calling you out that day, but I-I just felt i had to, you know, tell you, or it'd be too late."

"It's fine, isnt it? You dont have to feel responsible for the _timing_."

"That's not-" Pudding protested, dismayed, but one look at Sanji's face shut her up.

"A-Anyway, who cares about that," she huffed, stomping her foot. "You dont have any proof!"

"Hm, true," Sanji nodded, "Not that I need any," He added sweetly.

"Keep telling yourself that!" She yelled, her mocking laughter ringing down the corridor. "You dont know anything, you idiot!"

"Then why dont you tell me?"

His question threw her off guard, flipping her switch once again.

"M-Mama wont give up so easily," she stammered, "She'll try again and again till she gets exactly what she wants."

"Thanks for the heads up ," Sanji smiled one last time. "Anything else you'd want me to know?"

Pudding opened her mouth, then shut it again. Sanji could see her struggling to say something, pleading with her eyes. Then she abruptly turned away from him and gripped the staircase railing.

"Go die."

And with that, she stormed down the stairs.

III.

The city bustled with motion, never asleep. The moon glimmered behind the clouds. In the darkened room, Zoro sat contemplating, looking out through the glass wall. The ice clinked rhythmically as he took a sip of his whisky and put down the glass.

The monitor beeped. He put down his headphones and leaned back, going over the conversation in his head.

Judge didn't need to hear all of it. Would be easier for Zoro if he tweaked it a little bit, like the part where Pudding warned Sanji.

Time to get down to business.


	10. Chapter 10

I.

"The snow's really piling up this time, isn't it?" Conis' eyes lit up as they traced the softly falling snow. "I'll go shovel it!"

"Let it pile for a little longer, it's almost an hour for us to open anyway. We'll leave the tough work to Jim," Sanji winked.

"Ok!" Conis giggled and leaned on the glass wall once more, her breath fogging up the panel.

"So how's everything with Raki?"

She hiccupped and turned into a turnip. Sanji laughed. 

"It's great, thanks to you, " she mumbled.

"Heh," Sanji continued polishing the coffee cups. "I was just the messenger."

"But if you hadnt been there then Enel-" her voice cracked.

"I shouldn't have brought it up, I'm sorry," Sanji said, dismayed.

Conis chuckled and wiped her tears. "Tears of happiness, don't mind me."

Sanji let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry!” she continued brightly. "Now's the time for payback! I'm rooting for you!"

"For me?"

"Mr. Zoro is a nice man! And so handsome too! You look so good together!"

He stared at her, then looked down at the coffee cup he was polishing. His distorted reflection stared back at him.

"It really is that obvious, isn't it?" He murmured, more to himself, than to Conis.

II.

"Wanna go to the beach?"

"The beach?" Sanji laughed. "Who goes to the beach in winter?"

"We'll go." Zoro replied cheerfully.

"And what will we do there?"

"See the sea in winter."

Sanji laughed again. Zoro could be so much like a child sometimes. "You really sound like you wanna go. Determined hmm."

"I'm always determined." 

"Is that so~" Sanji switched the phone to his other ear, sandwiching it between his ear and shoulder and picking up a knife. "When do you want to go?"

"Saturday. I'll be the picking you up this time."

"Fine by me. Don't get lost~" Sanji sing-songed, and smiled at Zoro's grumbling. 

"See you then!"

Now, to calm his racing heartbeat.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Mentions of emotional and physical abuse. I have marked the beginning and the end of that paragraph with " ** ", so you can skip that if you want to.

"Your ride's exactly like you."

Sanji was currently seated beside Zoro in his Rover, on their way to the seaside. They had started out early, right after a small breakfast. The sun was barely out of the horizon. 

Zoro smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was meant to be one." Sanji huffed, and immediately saw Zoro's sunshine brighten up.

"Why so?" Zoro asked.

"Just felt like saying it."

"No I mean why do you think so?"

"Oh," Sanji still hadnt got Zoro's speech pattern completely figured out. Zoro was a man of few words.

"I meant it has the same feel as you. Bulky, dark, dependable." 

"Well built, you mean." Zoro smirked.

Sanji scoffed. "You wish, Marimo."

"Why Marimo, why not Adonis?"

Sanji stared. "Did you just-"

"Sorry, I'm not good at this, let's just forget I said that."

Sanji burst out laughing. "Cheesy!"

Zoro mumbled incoherently.

"Ok then leave it to me. Mountains or the sea?”

"We'd be driving to the opposite end of the country for the mountains, but I'm taking you to the beach instead."

Sanji nodded. "Yup, makes sense."

"Do you like the sea?”

"I LOVE the sea!" Sanji beamed.

"So if not a chef, what would you be?"

"A chef at sea!" 

Now it was Zoro's turn to laugh. "I figured."

"The vastness, isn't it? The freedom. You can just escape and never look back." Sanji breathed.

Zoro glanced towards him, attempting not to stare. Sanji.... Was beautiful. And when he smiled? Damn.

"What do you want to escape from?” Zoro asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

" _Someone_ was supposed to be bad at small talk, hmm" Sanji teased.

Zoro scowled. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, _dear_."

Sanji smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile. All at once, his aura changed to dark and stormy.

"I already escaped." He said, after a pause.

Shit, thought Zoro. "I'm serious. You don't have to-"

**  
"I was severely abused by my family till I was eight years old." Sanji began, his eyes unfocused, staring out of his window. "I... Wasn't what my father wanted me to be. We were quadruplets, and my brothers.... Weren't too kind either." He chuckled softly. " Things became... Really bad after my mother's death. So I..... Escaped." He swallowed hard, the lump in his throat throbbing. " We'd gone for a cruise and my sister spotted another ship about to leave the harbour, and she pushed me onto it." A tear rolled down, plopping on his arm. "That day I... Couldn't walk. Both my legs were shattered." His voice cracked. The tears were flowing freely now. "Somehow, they took me in, but that ship got shipwrecked not long after, and I washed up on Zeff's doorstep. Even then-" he choked on a sob, "even then, I have brought nothing but danger for him. Back then, and even now..." He stopped and buried his face in his shivering hands, staying still for a few minutes.  
**

After some time he looked up and grabbed a tissue from the tissue box. "Sorry about that," he fake-laughed, wiping his face with the tissue. He never spoke about his past. Even his friends didn't know. But when Zoro had asked, a dam had burst. And now he felt embarrassed and slightly foolish.  
"Don't mind me, I'm over it now," he rambled on, clasping his cold hands together and blowing on them to warm them up. "That time's long gone, Baratie and Zeff and my friends are my family now. So, it's fine, really. I'm fine n-"

Silently, Zoro reached out and grasped both of Sanji's trembling hands, holding them in a firm, reassuring grip, his eyes never once leaving the road.

Sanji stared. First at Zoro's hand, then at Zoro.

Calloused. Rough. And _incredibly_ warm.

The tears began to flow again.


	12. Chapter 12

The Rover scrunched to a stop on the sand. In front of them lay the sea, and the rising sun.

They stepped out, the sea breeze cold yet gradually warming up. The waves barely moved. It'd been so long since Sanji had tasted the saltiness of this air. 

"Sanji," Zoro beckoned. Sanji went up to him and leaned on the car, inhaling deeply and filling his lungs with the sea air, then letting it out with a whoosh. It felt therapeutic. Healing, almost. He should visit the sea more often.

"Thank you," he murmured, looking at the glistening water.

Zoro grunted in acknowledgement. They stood in comfortable silence for a while.

"I... Cannot see Weather." Zoro began, after a while. Sanji turned to look at him, but did not say anything, waiting for him to go on.

"But I can sense it, more or less, " Zoro continued, staring straight ahead. "When I saw you for the first time, you... had the most intense storm I've ever sensed, and I've sensed a hell lot of storms." He paused, crossed his arms in front of him, then went on. "I thought for sure that you wanted to kill me or something, before I realized that the storm wasn't directed _outwards_ towards me, it was directed _inwards_ toward you. You... were angry at yourself. " Zoro stopped and glanced at Sanji. Sanji was still looking at him, the sun reflecting off his pristine blue eyes. Zoro's breath hitched and he quickly looked away. "Now I know why. And," he paused, as if searching for words, "And it's not your fault."

Sanji blinked, the words on his lips forgotten. "What is?”

"All of it. And none of it. None of it is your fault."

"None of what?" Sanji asked, as if afraid to know the answer, as if he knew it but was terrified of hearing it out loud.

"Whatever happened, be it back then or now-- none of it is your mistake. None of it. Absolutely none. So you can stop beating yourself up about it. Let it go."

Sanji's soft laugh caught Zoro offguard.

"Why did you cross your arms?" Sanji's asked, smiling.

Zoro stared. No use beating about the bush, eh.

He shrugged. " So I wouldn't pull you in my arms, that's all."

Sanji didn't know if it was the dawn or Zoro's own sunshine or both, but whatever doubts he had, crumbled away and dissipated in the face of that radiance. 

Without a word, he stepped into Zoro's space, leaning in and placing a soft, enquiring kiss on Zoro's lips, testing waters. He needn't have been so cautious-- Zoro yanked him closer, arms curling around Sanji's slender waist and pressing him flush against his own body, mouth capturing his lips in a searing kiss. To Zoro's delight Sanji reciprocated in full measure, bringing his hands up and cupping Zoro's face, moving his lips in rhythm with Zoro's. Zoro let Sanji decide the pace, let him probe and explore-- he had all the time in the world to unravel Sanji later.

II.

When they got back in the car Zoro was vaguely aware of having forgotten something important. He brushed it off, thinking it'd come back to him sooner or later.

Sanji cursed under his breath, checking his phone. "So many missed calls..." He dialled Patty's number first. No response. Cairn's number too was unresponsive. 

"What's up?” Zoro asked.

"No one's picking up the phone..." Sanji's replied, apprehension rising. Zeff didn't have a phone. It was Conis' day off. He scrolled down. Ah, five missed calls from Nami. His gut churned. But thank goodness, Nami picked up almost immediately.

His relief was cruelly short-lived. Nami's words froze the blood in his veins.

"Where the hell are you?!" She cried," The Baratie was attacked and..." Her voice broke.

" And they took Zeff away!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ Here's my Twitter. ](https://mobile.twitter.com/YaoiDokiDoki)
> 
> Come scream with me, or at me, if you'd like!


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